Islamic Center Fire Was Not an Accident

On April 24, 2020, the New York Times reported that a fire that damaged the Islamic Center of Cape Giradeau, Missouri, was possibly suspicious.

Our investigation shows that the fire began around 5 AM on Friday, April 24, 2020, the first full day of Ramadan. Just before the fire began, a man was seen on security camera who was thought to be behaving suspiciously. Chief Norman Baker of the Cape Girardeau Fire Department iniitially said the fire was “suspicious in nature.” There were no injuries in the fire, but it caused extensive property damage to the Center. The Center is no stranger to random acts of hostility and violence: in 2009, a man was convicted of hate crimes for throwing rocks at the Center, and in 2018 another man made threats against the Center. Missouri Governor Mike Parson called the fire “a cowardly act… In Missouri, we won’t tolerate an attack on any house of worship.” Due to the timing of the fire and its suspicious start, it was initially suspected that it is a case of arson. 

Further investigation shows that Nichola J. Proffitt has been arrested and charged with arson for allegedly starting the fire. Security camera footage shows him throwing objects at the Center and then splashing it with liquid before the fire began. The Justice Department news release said Proffitt is being charged "with maliciously damaging a building by means of a fire." Proffitt is the same man convicted of two counts of property damage motivated by Islamophobic discrimination after vandalizing the Islamic Center in 2009.

The fire was arson, not an accident.